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Personal Injury Blog

How is Liability Assigned in a Multi-Car Accident?

Thursday, May 02, 2019

While assigning liability is always a complex matter in auto accidents, multi-car accidents are an entirely different matter. If you were rear-ended, the car in the back would be saddled with liability. However, it is more difficult to assign liability when more than one vehicle is involved. Furthermore, because of the number of vehicles involved, the damage to your own vehicle as well as your body can be extensive and costly. Unfortunately, when there are a number of different cars responsible for the accident, it can be difficult to pinpoint liability for the damage.

Assigning Liability

In a multi-car crash, you don't file insurance claims for damage caused by different cars. Instead, typically liability is assigned for the crash. In most cases, the driver that started the chain reaction will be held liable for the accident. However, all drivers involved have a certain liability to an extent in the accident as well.

Most commonly, lawyers will work with police officers to try and find out who started the chain reaction in the accident as well as why it happened. It is easier for all parties if the person responsible confesses, but things don't always work out like that. Once the cause of the accident has been determined, if it was caused by negligence, such as distracted driving, then it is likely their insurance will be paying for all the damages. However, if something that was beyond their control caused a multi-car accident, then the liability for it may not solely rest on their shoulders. By not being able to brake in time to prevent the accident, all the cars involved have some liability. So if the initial driver lost control of the car due to something like ice (a rarity in California, but a good example) then they would not maintain sole liability for causing the accident.

The Biggest Complications in Multi-Car Accident Cases

As one would expect, if you were in a multi-car accident, the whole affair is going to take more time and money to resolve than your standard two-car auto accident cases. In truth, the biggest hang-up is often assigning liability for the accident to see whose insurance will be covering the damage. This requires the gathering of evidence and reconstruction of the accident to concretely prove. If you are lucky, the accident will happen in front of a traffic camera, a piece of evidence that will speed things up significantly, but not always a viable option.

Furthermore, as these accidents are often of a lethal nature, it is even more unlikely that a person will claim the fault if they are also looking at a wrongful death suit. If you have been in a multi-car accident, you should expect that it will take exponentially longer for the case to conclude. As it takes time to gather the necessary evidence as well as assign fault, it could very well be years before it reaches its conclusion.

Need Help?

Have you been involved in a multi-car accident and want to know when or even if you will receive compensation for damage and injuries related to the crash? You will want to find yourself legal representation to make sure your interests are fully represented in the matter of the crash so that you will get the compensation you need to get back on track. Contact us today to see what the Law Office of Freeman and Freeman can do to help you. We are dedicated to being an advocate of those injured in California and we are ready to fight to make sure you get the compensation that you need.